Twitter’s new Threads feature makes it easier for users to build ‘tweetstorms’: Here’s how it works

Twitter on Tuesday announced a new feature that will make it easier for users to build 'tweetstorms'. Called "threads", the new feature allows users to link posts together to share more information or tell a longer story.

The move comes just a month after the micro-blogging platform doubled the character limit for tweets to 280 characters. It was the first time the character cap was raised since Twitter was founded..

"A few years ago we noticed people creatively stitching Tweets together to share more information or tell a longer story. We saw this approach (which we call 'threading') as an innovative way to present a train of thought, made up of connected but individual elements." product manager Sasank Reddy said in a blog post.

Twitter posts about a topic, typically fired off in rapid succession by someone intent on writing more than allowed by the character limit, have been referred to as "tweetstorms."

How to use Twitter Threads

The feature is expected to be rolled out to Android, iOS and desktop users in coming days. Twitter has elaborated how the Threads feature will work for users.

Twitter users will soon see an "add another tweet" button while writing a new tweet. After writing your tweet, you can simply tap a "plus" sign to add another tweet to the thread.

Users can add as many as tweets to their thread they want and can publish them together. Threaded tweets will be published at the same time, but more posts can be added. For readers, they will see a "show this thread" label that can be clicked to see posts woven together by authors.

Twitterati reacts to Threads

"Launching tweetstorms/thread today," Twitter co-founder and chief executive Jack Dorsey tweeted from the firm's San Francisco headquarters.

Many replies to Dorsey's post called on Twitter to focus on dealing with extremists, trolls, and "bots" abusing the service instead of packaging tweets together.

"This will make some of the thoughtful longform posts on Twitter more accessible to a broader range of people. Good," read a reply to Dorsey from a verified account of venture capitalist Chris Sacca, whose investments included Twitter.

"But not sure why it launched before you make more moves to reduce hate speech, ban Nazis, eliminate Russian trolls, and stop the spread of fake news."

Threads will be rolled out in an update to Twitter in the coming weeks, according to Reddy.